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Martyn Baratheon
Ser Martyn Baratheon, also known as the Burning Buck, is an unseen character in Game of Thrones. He is already long dead before the events of the series and is not expected to appear in the series. He was the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard to King Aegon the Unworthy and King Daeron the Good, previously serving Daeron the Young Dragon, Viserys II and Baelor the Blessed. He was a master swordsman and a tragic figure in Westerosi history. History Background Martyn was a famous member of King Aegon IV Targaryen's Kingsguard. He was the older brother of Lord Lyonel Baratheon, otherwise known as the Laughing Storm, and the ancestor of King Robert Baratheon. His nephew Ormund would become Lord of Storm's End. Martyn served as a squire to Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, who was his closest and potentially his only true friend besides his brother. After being knighted by Prince Aemon at the age of fourteen for valour against several brotherhood, Martyn was betrothed to several young ladies at court. When he was nineteen, he reportedly protected the king from assassins and was raised to the Kingsguard. He served in the Kingsguard alongside the Dragonknight for at least thirty-seven years, famously suffering an array of humiliations from King Aegon, for which he is considered a tragic figure in Westerosi history. He was formerly Lord Guardian of the Stormlands and wielded the Valyrian steel sword Iron Solace into battle. It was a controversial fact that he worshipped the Lord of Light and believed in the Prince that was Promised. For this, he earned the nickname 'the Burning Buck'. Martyn fought a famous duel with Aegor Rivers during the Battle of the Redgrass Field, and was mortally wounded. He died of his wounds soon after the battle, in the arms of his brother Lyonel the Laughing Storm. Season 2 A statue of Martyn is mentioned to stand in Storm's End. Season 4 King Joffrey Baratheon, while reading the White Book, reads briefly about the deeds of Ser Martyn to Ser Jaime Lannister, mistakenly believing the man to be an ancestor of his. Quotes Quotes by Martyn Quotes about Martyn In the books In the A Song of Ice and Fire ''books, Ser Martyn Baratheon was a knight who had achieved legendary status by the time the books took place. He was often called 'the Burning Buck' for having a fascination, and later faith, in the Lord of Light, which had started since he was a child. He is viewed as one of the most tragic figures in the history of House Baratheon, and his life was reportedly riddled with controversy, heroism and tragedy. He had thick black hair, but otherwise favoured his mother's side of the family (sharing the blue eyes of both houses). While his cousin Lyonel was extremely handsome and youthful, Martyn was thickset, with harsh eyes and a jagged nose. He was a towering man, as commonly remembered by other members of the Kingsguard and by Bloodraven, who remarked that Martyn looked more dangerous than any man at court. Even towards the end of his life, Martyn's face remained free of any imperfections that came with age, except for one jagged battle-scar across his face which he received duelling Ser Ulrick Dayne during the Conquest of Dorne. When he was a boy, Martyn laughed all the time, but by the time he was eleven years old he stopped laughing altogether and rarely smiled at all. Martyn was incredibly skilled with a sword, and he could easily beat some of the best-trained squires that were several years his senior, and later in his life would end many great warriors. He served as a squire to Prince Aemon the Dragonknight in his youth, having met the Dragonknight at court when he first visited. It was reported that Aemon was the only man who could even be remotely considered Martyn's friend, since Martyn kept himself to himself almost his entire life. When he was thirteen years old, he distinguished himself for the first time when his family, on their way back from Riverrun, were attacked by a nameless band of outlaws. While his father kept his men in the centre and left them open to being cornered, Martyn detached himself from the group and slew the attacking archers from behind by finding their hiding spots. He would later distinguish himself several times afterwards fighting similar brigands alongside Prince Aemon, who trained him to fight and ride better than his father ever did. One particular brotherhood attacked several castles in the Stormlands and King Aegon III Targaryen sent Prince Aemon and his squire to quell the brotherhood. Aemon led the charge, but he was injured and Martyn carried his body to cover, before singlehandedly taking up the charge and slaughtering the brotherhood, but he spared any smallfolk who were involved in the outlaws' exploits because they had been exploited. For this, Aemon granted him the honour of knighthood. Martyn would spend very little time at Storm's End afterwards, but his father gave him the Valyrian steel sword Iron Solace in honour of his victory. With Iron Solace in hand, Martyn would become the Lord of Storm's End and Lord Guardian of the Stormlands when he came of age. This day would never come. It is known that he had a childhood friend in Argella Connington, whom he initiated a relationship that would last their entire youth. He was reportedly courted by several ladies at court, including several of Aemon's female family members. It is rumoured that the two of them slept together when they reached the end of their youth, but for unknown reasons the two of them were separated, presumably as Martyn's peers wanted to marry him into a house more powerful even than the Conningtons - Driftmark. He did visit brothels infrequently, and took a mistress in a handmaiden and cousin to Lady Daenaera Velaryon named Vera, who was three years his senior. She was considered very beautiful, but it was rumoured that Martyn was frightened of committing to her, as he wasn't as socially prodigal as his cousins, or younger brother, and he may have still clung to his friendship with Argella. He danced with Vera at several banquets, and later he danced with Princess Daena Targaryen, but Daena advised him to continue dancing with Vera because she actually loved him. Prince Aegon Targaryen lusted after Vera, even though he was already married to Princess Naerys. Naerys violently argued with Aegon over his fascination with Vera, and Aegon struck her so hard he knocked a tooth out. Naerys sought solace in Martyn, until Aegon threatened to have Ser Quentyn Ball execute Martyn if she stayed near him any longer. Martyn and Vera's relationship continued, until Aegon restrained and raped her himself, after which she left King's Landing out of fear for him. Many expected Martyn to challenge Aegon to a duel over the insult that had been done to him, but Martyn swallowed his pride. His father arranged for a famously talented and buxom whore named Genna to console Martyn, who rejected her despite her extensive and reportedly fearsome attempts at arousing him. Thus started the rumours that Martyn didn't truly love women, since if he didn't love a woman as beautiful, 'talented and experienced' as Genna, then he couldn't possibly love any woman. When Daeron Targaryen rose to the Iron Throne, Martyn was seventeen, a knight and had immersed himself completely in the faith of R'hllor, so much that people considered him to potentially be a sorcerer. He only ever fought in one tournament in his life: the tourney in honour of Daeron's coronation, in which he violently unhorsed Prince Aegon, unintentionally humiliating the Targaryen prince after only breaking two lances against him. Martyn later broke seven lances against Prince Aemon, before both of them were unhorsed. Aegon would demand satisfaction for being defeated so fiercely by Martyn, but Daeron revoked him of this right. It was a popular opinion of historians, maesters, lords and peasants for decades afterwards that, if Martyn had fought Aegon in the duel that had been demanded, and killed him (which he would have probably done rather easily), then a great deal of anguish, bloodshed and violence would have been avoided entirely, and Martyn's fate would have been supremely different. Martyn participated in the Conquest of Dorne, during which Martyn's distinction as a warrior skyrocketed completely and he became a famed hero of Westeros. During the Conquest, he fought against Ser Ulrick Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, and unhorsed him when the man tried to kill Daeron. Ulrick vanished after that, only to reappear three days later, having hidden among the Targaryen ranks to assassinate Daeron. Recognising the man, Martyn stepped in front of the king, earning a scar to his face in the process, and battled with Ulrick through the camp, eventually killing him. The duel, in which a Valyrian steel blade crossed Dawn, would become the subject of songs afterwards. For saving Daeron's life twice from the same man, Martyn was officially raised to the Kingsguard, and Aemon draped the white cloak around his shoulders. He was eighteen years old at the time. Storm's End passed to his younger brother Lyonel Baratheon. After a bloody battle at the Prince's Pass, Martyn was wounded and the king personally brought him from the battlefield. It was commonly suggested among the Dornish that Martyn and the king slept together (a rumour empowered by the fact that Martyn never so much as touched another woman without their permission after Daeron was crowned) but these rumours were explicitly untrue as of the testimony of Martyn's sworn brothers. When the Dornishmen agreed to treat with Daeron, Martyn was one of the few men present to advise against meeting them at all, stating that the Dornishmen could be setting a trap for them. For this, Prince Aegon retorted that Martyn could only make this assumption if he were privy to the plans of the enemy and suggested having the knight interrogated, but Daeron silenced his brother, sending him to King's Landing with hostages in his custody, rumouredly to keep him and Martyn from clashing again. He agreed to meet with the Dornish, and in the ensuing slaughter Martyn was forced to watch as Daeron, with Blackfyre in hand, was struck down, and three of his sworn brothers were killed, except for Aemon, who was captured. Martyn fought furiously against the Dornish, but he was forced to yield when a knife was held to Aemon's throat. Martyn plunged his sword into a Dornishman's corpse and went down on one knee, simultaneously yielding to and insulting his enemy. Aemon persuaded his friend to escape while they were in captivity, and Martyn made a famous escape from Sunspear, killing Ser Willem Yronwood and avenging his king in the process. He journeyed to Wyl and tried to rescue Aemon, but failed and was driven away by Dornish riders. He stole a horse and rode all the way back to King's Landing, where Prince Baelor Targaryen, now king after the death of the Young Dragon, had his personal maester see to him. During the reign of Baelor the Blessed, Martyn was ordered by the king to recuperate in Storm's End, where he was reunited with his brother Lyonel for the first time since the failed Conquest of Dorne. He was visited by several ladies, and reluctantly entertained them with stories of the southern wars, but he refused to speak of his failure to rescue Aemon or of Daeron's death. Martyn was returned to service when Aemon came back to the capital, and it was confirmed that both he and Baelor were on good terms in spite of their drastic religious differences. It is possible that Baelor overlooked Martyn's religion purely because he saw it as a personal delusion rather than devotion. Martyn truly appreciated the peaceful reign that Baelor sought to create, and applauded him for succeeding, but the king and his Kingsguard were never as close as Aemon was. Even though they got on, Martyn disapproved of how Daena, Rhaena and Elaena being imprisoned, even though they relented. Nevertheless, Martyn apparently believed that Baelor could be the prophecised prince that was promised, with the bleeding star being the war in Dorne that resulted in Baelor's coronation. He made no attempt to sway Baelor to the religion of R'hllor. This belief was destroyed when Baelor starved himself to death. Martyn continued to serve during the short-lived reign of King Viserys II, before the man died sickly and Aegon was crowned. During the reign of Aegon IV Targaryen, Martyn's life took a tremendous turn for the worst. Envious, vengeful and angry at the years of being outshined by the knight (since both Aegon's crowned cousins, brother and sister had sung praise of Martyn), Aegon went to extraordinary lengths to make Martyn's existence miserable. He left seven male whores in Martyn's bed at one point, mocking him with the belief that he and Daeron had shared a bed, and Martyn had almost killed one when the whore tried to undress him. Martyn was whipped in front of the Iron Throne for stepping to the defence of Prince Aemon during a particularly violent argument between the king and his Lord Commander. Aegon visited a myriad of other, far worse unpleasantries on his sworn protector, so much that Aemon almost threatened to kill his brother in vengeance of this. In spite of the endless animosity between them, Martyn had a hand in raising Aegon's children, including the Great Bastards. He considered both Daemon and Aegor to be prodigal warriors, and encouraged the genius in Brynden Rivers, as well as the beauty of Shiera Seastar. He was extremely close to young Prince Daeron. Prince Maekar was not close to him, but he admired him. However, this didn't change the fact that Aegon the Unworthy absolutely, truly ''hated him. Martyn was apparently heavily involved in the defence against King Aegon when assassins hunted after him. He fought these assassins several times, and witnessed the death of Prince Aemon Targaryen with his own eyes. The Dragonknight's death traumatised Martyn, and he became enraged when Aegon didn't properly honour his memory afterwards, leaving King's Landing briefly for Storm's End before Aegon ordered his return and threatened him with castration if he ever left the capital without permission again. From then on, Martyn's hatred for his vile king would be insurmountable and the only thing that would prevent him from actually killing Aegon would be his own sense of honour in being a Kingsguard. When Aegon became so unhealthily obese that he was unable to stand, he asked Martyn to euthanise his king to end his agony. Martyn, in a veiled but uncharacteristic show of spite, refused the order, stating that the white cloak forbade him from shedding the life's blood of his ruler, even though it would please him to oblige Aegon. When the king finally died, many lords looked to Martyn, many of them expecting him to smile at the death of his nemesis. Martyn simply looked from the corpse of Aegon the Unworthy and begged an audience with Daeron. It is unclear what they discussed, but it can be assumed that Martyn had decided to personally break the news to the future Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. As the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard to Aegon's son and heir Daeron Targaryen, the Second of His Name, whose first proper order was for Martyn to personally arrest many corrupt members of the City Watch who had threatened Daeron. Bloodraven suggested that these men be executed, and Martyn agreed, but Daeron refused, stating that he would not be remembered as King Daeron the Butcher. Martyn then openly recognised Daeron as his true king. Daeron was a great deal kinder to Martyn than Aegon was, so much that he was considered the kindest king that Martyn had ever served, and allowed Lyonel to meet with his brother at court several times, and would often speak privately with the Burning Buck trying to apologise for Aegon's disgraceful treatment of him. However, even though Daeron went to great lengths to repair the horrible damage and disgrace that Aegon had inflicted, one wound in particular had been inflicted and would never truly heal - the Great Bastards. A constant presence at court, the Bastards were a source of great controversy: Martyn dutifully comforted Bittersteel when he was rejected by Shiera Seastar, and suffered the accusations that came with his fair treatment of Aegon's illegitimate children. Martyn had been a fairly close influence in Daemon's life, but he sided with Daeron for two major reasons - firstly, because he was a Kingsguard and honour-bound to serve Daeron; second, because, while Daemon was a great warrior and a good man, he would be better suited for war than anything else, including ruling. During one memorable banquet, Eustace Osgrey entered the hall with a burning sword and insulted Daeron as weak and cowardly, proclaiming Daemon as the one true king of Westeros. Daeron endured the slight, while Brynden Rivers threatened to set his Raven's Teeth on the man and Baelor Breakspear restrained him, demanding satisfaction. Eustace, outraged at how brutally he had been treated, demanded satisfaction, challenging Daeron to a duel to prove his subordinate wrong. Instead, Martyn stood for his king in the duel that was arranged. While Eustace was a relentless warrior, Martyn shattered his sword and offered him the chance to leave King's Landing with his life, but to never return to the capital again on pain of death. Daemon Blackfyre rebelled against the Iron Throne and started the First Blackfyre Rebellion. Before doing so, he appealed to Martyn one last time to support him, but Martyn refused him. Throughout the rebellion, Martyn proved every bit as dangerous as Bloodraven had made him out to be, but also one of the most notoriously merciful. He killed at least a dozen great knights in the Rebellion, including Byren Flowers, but he spared their squires and pages, sending them either to the Wall or offering them pardons from the king. The Rebellion ended at the Redgrass Field. Martyn fought at the Redgrass Field and was made a major priority by Daemon, who knew and feared the Burning Buck. When the battle commenced, Martyn joined with his brother alongside Baelor Targaryen, and they led the Dornish/Stormlands forces against the Pretenders. In the ensuing battle, Martyn fought and killed Edwyn and Harrold Osgrey in single combat and smashed through the forces of their house seconds afterwards, before he was separated from his brother when Aegor Rivers led a retaliating force against him. Martyn was thrown from his horse, but he continued to fight across the Redgrass Field, saving Ser Arlan of Pennytree from Robb Reyne, Gareth the Grey and Aubrey Ambrose, who were no match for him. Finally, he crossed Aegor in the heat of the battle, and a brief argument was exchanged. Aegor and Martyn cited their respect for one another, but inevitably they engaged in a mighty duel, the greatest duel that Martyn had ever fought, and though Martyn dealt scars and wounds on Bittersteel that would affect and fatigue him for the rest of his life, both men ended up dealing mortal blows and Aegor was dragged from the battle by his squires to be healed, while Martyn was left to die. Aegor returned to the battle when Brynden Rivers and his Raven's Teeth killed Daemon, and fought Bloodraven until his forces were smashed by Baelor Targaryen and his brother Maekar. After the battle, Lyonel found his brother's body and carried him from the Redgrass Field. Martyn, to his credit, survived the journey back to King's Landing, but he refused milk of the poppy. He kept asking them if the battle had been won, and feared that he had been taken prisoner, but Lyonel assured him that Daemon was dead and Bittersteel was on the run. At peace, Martyn famously told his younger brother Do not weep, my brother. The night may be dark and full of terrors, but there are worse terrors to think of. I am happy that you are by my side, for I am not afraid. I do not fear the dark', ''and his very last act was to press Iron Solace into Lyonel's hands. Out of respect for a brother's loss, Daeron offered to cremate Martyn and give him an honorary Targaryen funeral, but Lyonel ordered for his body to be sent to Storm's End and buried there. Martyn is remembered by Brynden Rivers over a century after the Battle of the Redgrass Field, and Bran is awed that Brynden even knew such a man as him. By the time the books began, Martyn is widely considered a hero of the First Blackfyre Rebellion in his own right, and a legend equivalent to his friend the Dragonknight (since he served five kings in total, distinguished himself as a young man and fought in two major wars). The most controversial elements of his memory are: the rumours that he was homosexual, the fact that he worshipped the Lord of Light, the final veiled insult he dealt Aegon the Unworthy on his deathbed, and the fact that he failed to kill Bittersteel. People like King Joffrey Baratheon consider him to have been an extremely efficient warrior but not strong enough to defeat Aegor Rivers, while all Baratheon men honour his memory and recognise him as a strong, honourable man who served in the Kingsguard even though he shared a deep-rooted hatred with one of them. His passage in the White Book reads: It is known that Martyn did great deeds in the First Blackfyre Rebellion, and that he held his own against Quentyn Ball, but the outcome of the duel, and the true extent of his deeds are unknown. Eustace Osgrey maintained his hatred of Martyn Baratheon, staying bitter about his humiliation in the duel between them for the rest of his life, but he did admit to Ser Duncan the Tall (Martyn's successor as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard) that Martyn was an honourable man and a great warrior, and his death accentuated both these factors. Egg (the future King Aegon V Targaryen) mentions that his father and uncles always spoke highly of Martyn, and remembers visiting Martyn's tomb with Prince Baelor, who at one point wept, verbally remembering how Martyn charged astride him at the Redgrass Field. Prince Aerion at one point tried to steal Iron Solace from Storm's End and re-enact the man's final stand. Even though Lyonel damned Aegor for killing his brother, Martyn was never properly avenged, since Bittersteel didn't die in Westeros, but in the Disputed Lands. Historically, Martyn's fall is associated with the fact that, though he killed a number of renowned knights, he had been uhorsed and possibly fatigued by having to fight on foot, whereas Bittersteel was a shade fresher to the fighting. If they had met earlier in the battle, Martyn would have probably ended Bittersteel. Martyn was one of the most common names mentioned in regards to heroic deeds done on the Redgrass Field, with Arlan of Pennytree remembering how Martyn screamed for him to get behind him while Aubrey Ambrose, Gareth the Grey and Robb Reyne cornered them. Robb Reyne lasted the longest against Martyn, according to Arlan, but Duncan the Tall remembers Arlan joking '''the Burning Buck was up in flames on the battlefield, and no man could withstand him. But every fire can be quenched, Duncan, make no mistake. In Winterfell, Riverrun and Sunspear in particular, Martyn's deeds as a knight are remembered as exciting bedtime stories, to all but Catelyn Stark, who cannot help but remember the stories of Martyn's humiliations by Aegon the Unworthy, thinking that a king should never treat his sworn shield the way Aegon treated him. Sansa Stark and Arianne Martell were entranced by the stories about him, and Sansa cried the first time her mother told the story of Martyn's demise in his brother's arms, saying that this would be the saddest possible way to die. It is never properly explained how Martyn accepted the vows of the Kingsguard when he was a worshipper of the Lord of Light. It is confirmed that, in spite of this, he was graciously accepted by all other Kingsguard, and that he was chosen more in regards to his extreme loyalty and his amazing swordsmanship, and Baelor the Blessed (who was obsessed with the Faith of the Seven) seemed unperturbed by his faith. This suggests that Martyn wielded his practises to his own discretion, and it is mentioned that he was allowed to light his nightfires on the Blackwater, but forbidden from making human sacrifices. When hearing that Stannis has taken up arms against him, Joffrey scorns Stannis for joining his ancestor in faith in the fire god, and Cersei privately remembers Martyn with scorn as to how he worshipped R'hllor. Jaime, perusing the White Book, uses Martyn's controversial acceptance into the Kingsguard as an example of honour being paramount over religious prejudice. His reasons for joining the Kingsguard beyond his admiration for Daeron and vice versa are open to interpretation: it is confirmed through a maester's testimony that he prophecised something terrible when he was early into his worship of the Lord of Light. He prophecised that a stag would kill a dragon and destroy the Targaryen dynasty. He may have resolved that joining the Kingsguard would thwart this prophecy as he would be the king's staunchest ally and never betray him, even though he came excruciatingly close to breaking this vow during the reign of Aegon the Unworthy. What Martyn was unaware of was that this prophecy would come to pass over a hundred years later, long after his death, when Robert Baratheon slew Rhaegar Targaryen in single combat at the Battle of the Trident. Trivia * Martyn is similar to Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, ironically, in that they have both served five kings in their lifetime, and both wielded Valyrian steel swords. Category:Knights Category:Kingsguard Category:Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Category:House Baratheon Category:Deceased Category:Warrior Category:Followers of R'hllor Category:Lord of Light Category:Mentioned Characters Category:Mentioned characters Category:Characters from the Stormlands